The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
Yeah (uh), yeah, yeah (uh) (grr)
Don't get it twisted
This rap shit is mine, motherfucker
It's not a fucking game
Fuck what you heard
It's what you hearin' (it's what you hearin')
It's what you hearin' (listen)
It's what you hearin' (listen)
It's what you hearin' (listen)
X gon' give it to ya (what)
Fuck waiting for you to get it on your own, X gon' deliver to ya (uh)
Knock knock, open up the door, it's real
With the non-stop, pop-pop of stainless steel
Go hard, getting busy wit it
But I got such a good heart
That I'll make the motherfucker wonder if he did it
Damn right, and I'll do it again (yeah)
'Cause I am right so I gots to win
Break bread with the enemy (what)
But no matter how many cats I break bread with I'll break who you sendin' me (yeah)
You motherfuckers never wanted nothing (uh, what)
But your life saved, bitch, and that's on a light day
I'm getting down, down like a nigga said, "Freeze" (uh)
But won't be the one ending up on his knees
Bitch please, if the only thing you cats did (come on)
Was came out to play, stay out my way, motherfucker
First we gonna rock, then we gonna roll
Then we let it pop, go, let it go (what)
X gon' give it to ya (uh), he gon' give it to ya
X gon' give it to ya, he gon' give it to ya
First we gonna rock, then we gonna roll
Then we let it pop, go, let it go
X gon' give it to ya (uh), he gon' give it to ya
X gon' give it to ya (uh), he gon' give it to ya
Ain't never gave nothing to me (yeah)
But every time I turn around
Cats got they hands out wanting something from me (uh-huh)
I ain't got it, so you can't get it (yeah)
Let's leave it at that 'cause I ain't with it (yeah)
Hit it with full strength (what)
I'm a jail nigga, so I face the world like it's Earl in the bullpen
You against me, me against you (uh-uh, uh-uh)
Whatever, whenever, nigga, fuck you gon' do?
I'm a wolf in sheep's clothing (what)
Only nigga that you know who can chill
Come back and get the streets open
I've been doing this for nineteen years (what)
Niggas wanna fight me? Fight these tears (what)
I put in work, and it's all for the kids (uh)
But these cats done forgot what work is (uh-huh)
They don't know who we be
Looking, but they don't know who they see, nigga
First we gonna rock, then we gonna roll
Then we let it pop, go, let it go
X gon' give it to ya (uh), he gon' give it to ya
X gon' give it to ya (uh), he gon' give it to ya (come on)
First we gonna rock, then we gonna roll
Then we let it pop, go, let it go (come on)
X gon' give it to ya (uh), he gon' give it to ya
X gon' give it to ya (uh), he gon' give it to ya
Ayy yo, where my niggas at?
I know I got 'em down in the game, give 'em love and they give it back (woo)
Talk too much for too long (what)
Don't give up, you're too strong (what)
Love to the wild-wild honeys (yeah)
Shout out to niggas that done it (come on)
And it ain't even about the dough
It's about getting down for what you stand for, yo, for real (uh-uh, uh-uh)
First we gonna rock, then we gonna roll
Then we let it pop, go, let it go (come on)
X gon' give it to ya (uh), he gon' give it to ya
X gon' give it to ya (uh), he gon' give it to ya (come on)
First we gonna rock, then we gonna roll
Then we let it pop, go, let it go (come on)
X gon' give it to ya (uh), he gon' give it to ya
X gon' give it to ya (uh), he gon' give it to ya (come on)
First we gonna rock, then we gonna roll
Then we let it pop, go, let it go (come on)
X gon' give it to ya (uh), he gon' give it to ya
X gon' give it to ya (uh), he gon' give it to ya (come on)
Don't get it twisted
This rap shit is mine, motherfucker
It's not a fucking game
Fuck what you heard
It's what you hearin' (it's what you hearin')
It's what you hearin' (listen)
It's what you hearin' (listen)
It's what you hearin' (listen)
X gon' give it to ya (what)
Fuck waiting for you to get it on your own, X gon' deliver to ya (uh)
Knock knock, open up the door, it's real
With the non-stop, pop-pop of stainless steel
Go hard, getting busy wit it
But I got such a good heart
That I'll make the motherfucker wonder if he did it
Damn right, and I'll do it again (yeah)
'Cause I am right so I gots to win
Break bread with the enemy (what)
But no matter how many cats I break bread with I'll break who you sendin' me (yeah)
You motherfuckers never wanted nothing (uh, what)
But your life saved, bitch, and that's on a light day
I'm getting down, down like a nigga said, "Freeze" (uh)
But won't be the one ending up on his knees
Bitch please, if the only thing you cats did (come on)
Was came out to play, stay out my way, motherfucker
First we gonna rock, then we gonna roll
Then we let it pop, go, let it go (what)
X gon' give it to ya (uh), he gon' give it to ya
X gon' give it to ya, he gon' give it to ya
First we gonna rock, then we gonna roll
Then we let it pop, go, let it go
X gon' give it to ya (uh), he gon' give it to ya
X gon' give it to ya (uh), he gon' give it to ya
Ain't never gave nothing to me (yeah)
But every time I turn around
Cats got they hands out wanting something from me (uh-huh)
I ain't got it, so you can't get it (yeah)
Let's leave it at that 'cause I ain't with it (yeah)
Hit it with full strength (what)
I'm a jail nigga, so I face the world like it's Earl in the bullpen
You against me, me against you (uh-uh, uh-uh)
Whatever, whenever, nigga, fuck you gon' do?
I'm a wolf in sheep's clothing (what)
Only nigga that you know who can chill
Come back and get the streets open
I've been doing this for nineteen years (what)
Niggas wanna fight me? Fight these tears (what)
I put in work, and it's all for the kids (uh)
But these cats done forgot what work is (uh-huh)
They don't know who we be
Looking, but they don't know who they see, nigga
First we gonna rock, then we gonna roll
Then we let it pop, go, let it go
X gon' give it to ya (uh), he gon' give it to ya
X gon' give it to ya (uh), he gon' give it to ya (come on)
First we gonna rock, then we gonna roll
Then we let it pop, go, let it go (come on)
X gon' give it to ya (uh), he gon' give it to ya
X gon' give it to ya (uh), he gon' give it to ya
Ayy yo, where my niggas at?
I know I got 'em down in the game, give 'em love and they give it back (woo)
Talk too much for too long (what)
Don't give up, you're too strong (what)
Love to the wild-wild honeys (yeah)
Shout out to niggas that done it (come on)
And it ain't even about the dough
It's about getting down for what you stand for, yo, for real (uh-uh, uh-uh)
First we gonna rock, then we gonna roll
Then we let it pop, go, let it go (come on)
X gon' give it to ya (uh), he gon' give it to ya
X gon' give it to ya (uh), he gon' give it to ya (come on)
First we gonna rock, then we gonna roll
Then we let it pop, go, let it go (come on)
X gon' give it to ya (uh), he gon' give it to ya
X gon' give it to ya (uh), he gon' give it to ya (come on)
First we gonna rock, then we gonna roll
Then we let it pop, go, let it go (come on)
X gon' give it to ya (uh), he gon' give it to ya
X gon' give it to ya (uh), he gon' give it to ya (come on)
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In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
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No Surprises
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Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Plastic Bag
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Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
meaning dmx is coming for you!